


We Come Back Together

by gmariam19 (gmariam)



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Anger, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fear, Finn is a Mess, First Kiss, Hurt, Kef Bir, M/M, Misunderstandings, Movie: Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Poe Dameron Is A Mess, Poe's Ring, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers, They both need to let it out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-12
Packaged: 2021-03-02 01:15:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,202
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23576788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gmariam/pseuds/gmariam19
Summary: Poe and Finn confront one another after they leave Kef Bir as anger, hurt, and fear come between them, and they are forced to face hard truths about their relationship.
Relationships: Poe Dameron/Finn
Comments: 63
Kudos: 203





	1. Chapter 1

Part One

Poe is _furious._

He can feel it churning within him, making him sick to his stomach as he thinks about everything that's happened in the past twelve hours alone; if he thinks about the future— did Rey make it to the Death Star? did Finn? how long do they have until the Final Order fleet leaves Exegol?—he will succumb to the mind-numbing fear that is even worse than the anger. So, he tries to focus on the ship, not on Rey or Finn or some goddamn Sith lord come back from the dead to destroy everything they've fought so hard for. If he's going to go after his friends and win this war, he needs the _Falcon_ flying, and he needs it fast.

But it's a wreck. What the hell had happened to it on that Star Destroyer? He'd landed the _Falcon_ on Kef Bir as best as he could—and yes, he has definitely seen worse—but sliding hard across the ground had still been one of his more difficult landings, damaging the ship even more. The repairs are not going well, even with C3-PO talking to the ship's computer, BB-8 working furiously on the hyperdrive, and Chewbacca rebuilding the landing gear. It's not enough, it's not going to work, Finn is going to die out there, drown in the ocean because he's a damn fool and Poe can't get there, can't even fix the ship he needs to save him—

"Dammit!" he shouts, kicking at the panel below him, over and over and over, pouring his fear and anger into every painful hit until Chewie grabs him and pulls him back.

"Yeah, I know," Poe tells him, deflating almost instantly under the Wookie's reprimands. "Kicking it won't fix it. How're you doing on your end?"

Chewie growls a response that is at least marginally better than Poe's current status with the wiring. "Good. BB-8, how are you coming on the hyperdrive?" The droid whistles even better news, which gives Poe hope, though at the same time it makes him feel worse.

"I really am the only one who can't do a damn thing with this ship," he mutters under his breath. "Hunk of junk." A spark burns his right arm, as if the _Falcon_ heard him. "Sorry, sorry," he says. "Just cooperate a little, and we'll go get Rey, you can have her back."

Chewbacca asks if he's talking to the ship, and Poe tells him that yes, he is. Because he'll do anything to get to Finn and Rey before they drown on that ocean. Chewie tries to reassure him, tells him they are both strong.

"They're both idiots," Poe says, talking around the small hydrospanner in his mouth. Chewie growls in protest. "You know I'm right. That's the third time Rey has gone off without us, buddy. She's gonna get herself killed. And since Finn is always running after her, she's going to get him killed as well."

The Wookie agrees about Rey, which is surprising given how close they are, then asks why Poe is so mad at Finn. Poe stops his tinkering to think about it—or rather, to consider his words carefully, since he's upset for so many reasons, none of which he wants to talk about. Before he can answer, Chewbacca points out that Poe has been bad-tempered with Finn since Pasanna, since the sand pits—why did it bother him, whatever it was that Finn had wanted to say, and did he have to bring it up again when they were about to be executed?

Poe glances at the Wookie in surprise. He rarely asks such personal questions, preferring to remain silent, with an occasional reprimand or sly teasing. That Chewbacca not only noticed the tension between him and Finn, but has said something means that Poe is doing a terrible job at keeping his feelings in check. He needs to do better, but he's still so _mad_ —about the secrets, and the feelings, and the running, and that last, damning truth Finn had shouted at him on the ridge.

_I'm not Leia._

_That's for damn sure._

"Look, I appreciate the concern, buddy," he tells Chewie, diving back into the panel, hopefully one last time, and trying to put the echo of those words from his mind. It's not only anger that gnaws at him, but also hurt, that Finn thinks so poorly of him, when he already has so many doubts of his own. "But I don't know what's going on with us right now. Too many other things to worry about."

The Wookie calls him on it, and Poe frowns, glances over his shoulder. "Fine, I know exactly what's going on, but there's still too many other things to worry about. Like this ship."

Chewbacca barks at him again, and Poe hangs his head. "Yeah, I know. We'll work it out, I promise. I won't let it get in the way."

Apparently satisfied, Chewie heads back to the cockpit, telling Poe to let him know when he's done so they can try starting the _Falcon_. Poe nods and goes back to what he was doing, wondering how he can possibly work it out with Finn when there's so much friction between them now, with no time to talk, to do anything but keep reacting as everything they do seems to go wrong.

Thinking about Finn riles him up again. He's as scared as he is angry—Finn is good at just about everything, but what was he thinking, going after Rey? Did he have any experience whatsoever on water like that? And what could have possibly possessed Jannah to take him out there? Apparently, she and the others on the Endor moon are former Stormtroopers like Finn, and they clearly have a connection. But even she had told them to wait until morning to head out on the water. Why had they gone anyway, when Poe had told Finn they would go together, in the _Falcon_?

Poe can't help thinking about why Rey left them as well; he is so tired of it, of her impulsive decisions and lack of communication with them, when he thought they were friends. Yet even worse than his frustration is his deep fear for her as well, that she is skirting the edge of a dark precipice, that her risks could get them killed—and maybe Finn with her. And Poe is not going to lose Finn, not like this, and preferably not ever. Even after those hurtful words on the ridge, Poe cares too much about the other man to let go.

He solders the last two wires together, clamps a few other pieces, flips a switch, and shuts the panel. "Try it now!" he shouts to Chewie. The ship hums beneath him, and he dashes toward the cockpit, determined to get to his friends. He pushes past the hurt and anger; fear drives him even more.

* * *

Finn is _scared_.

He staggers up the ramp of the Falcon, soaked through to his skin, freezing and shivering and terrified—for Rey, and Poe, and the entire galaxy now that everything has gone wrong. And he's afraid of Poe's reaction to the things Finn has said and done since Pasanna, especially running off to the Death Star across an ocean he had no idea how to cross.

He's lucky to be alive. He knows that. He doesn't know how to process it though. He's feeling too much—his own emotions and all those around him—and things are moving so fast he can't sit down to think about any of it. He certainly can't plan ahead, he can only keep reacting to whatever happens next. And so far, it's been one disaster after another, several of which are his own doing. Anger and shame follow fear, that he can't seem to do anything right.

"We good?" He hears Poe shout from the cockpit, and Chewie growls back, slamming the ramp shut and asking if he's all right. Finn nods, glances at Jannah, who looks even worse than he feels. "We need to get Jannah back to her people," he tells Chewie, who grunts a response and hurries back to the cockpit. Finn turns to Jannah.

"I'm sorry," he starts. "I shouldn't have made you go out there."

"You didn't make me do anything," she says. "I wanted to help you and your friend."

"Yeah, well, we didn't, and now things are even worse."

"Worse?" asks Poe, storming into the corridor. "How can they possibly get—where's Rey?" He stops and stares at Finn, wide-eyed with the same fear Finn has been carrying since they left Ajan Kloss. "Finn, where's Rey?"

"She left." Finn's voice is harsh, even though it's not Poe's fault. If anything, it's Finn's, because he can feel something is wrong with Rey, but he can't help her, no matter how hard he tries. "Ren was there. They fought, and she left with his ship. I don't know where she's going."

Poe's jaw drops. He turns, holding his injured arm close, running his other hand through his hair. Finn can feel his shock and anger. When he turns back, Finn can't even hold his eyes, the look on Poe's face is so heartbreaking.

"You're right, it's worse," he says, and his voice sounds dead. Finn would almost prefer the anger he can feel bubbling beneath the surface, ready to burst forth. Until it does. "What the hell were you doing, going out there? You could have gotten yourself killed! And then what, Finn? Rey gone, you dead—what were you thinking?"

"I was thinking Rey needed my help!" Finn snaps. "She's my friend, and she was in trouble."

"Rey doesn't want our help, pal," Poe says, his voice so bitter it hurts, like a knife to the heart because Finn thinks Poe might be right, and he doesn't want to be angry at Rey, but a part of him is. "And we can't help her any more. We need to get back to base." He glances at Jannah, his face weary. "We'll drop you off with your friends first."

"We want to help," Jannah says, glancing between them, as if she can tell there is more to their confrontation than she sees.

Poe shakes his head. "We need people who can follow orders, and work together, not run off alone, against their own advice."

It feels like a slap in the face, but before Finn can say anything, Jannah steps up, her voice heated. "My people work together," she says. "We have been for years, ever since we defected. If you're going up against the First Order, we want to fight. They'll follow my orders."

"And you?" Poe asks. "Are you willing to follow orders? Because we can't have people doing whatever they want, taking risks like the one you did today."

"Leave her out of it," Finn snaps at him, annoyed when Poe has taken plenty of his own risks. Only Poe's usually turn out better, and don't put anyone else in danger. "I asked her to take me out there, I'm the one who messed up."

Poe points a finger in his face. "Damn right you did, you—" He is stopped by the ship settling, a shout from the cockpit that they've arrived at Jannah's camp. She glances once more between them, not sure what to do.

"We could really use them," Finn says.

"Then they answer to you," Poe says, turning away from Finn and back to Jannah. "How many of you are there?"

"Enough to make a difference," she says. "And depending on what you need, we can bring the orbaks, too."

"Not in here!"

"We have our own ship."

Poe looks down, cradling his injured arm once more. "Think we might need 'em?" he asks Finn without turning, and Finn hates that Poe won't look at him. "The orbaks?"

"Not sure what they can do against a fleet of Star Destroyers," Finn answers, but something tingles in the back of his mind, another feeling, like all the others he's had. "But if we need ground troops, then yes, we could probably use them. Bring 'em," he tells her, and she nods before turning back to Poe.

"Where should we meet you?" she asks, and Poe frowns.

"Contact the _Falcon_ when you're in the air," he says. "We'll send you the coordinates then."

"You can trust them," Finn tells him.

"No, you can trust them," Poe says. "I don't know what to think of any of this anymore. But we still send the coordinates when we're in the air." He turns and walks away without another word. The ramp opens, and Jannah starts to leave. She stops to touch his arm as she passes.

"I'm sorry about your friend Rey," she says. "And I'm sorry about you and Poe."

Finn shakes his head. "Not your fault, none of it. They're both…well, they're both being who they are. Rey is stubborn, but something is going on with her, I can feel it. And Poe…" He sighs. "He's pretty pissed off, isn't he?"

"He does seem like it," she agrees. "But he's injured, he crashed his ship, his friend left, and then you ran after her." She cocks her head. "You seem like a good team, though. Close."

"I don't know," Finn says, lowering his voice. "I thought we were…but I might have said something terrible to him, before I left, something I can never take back." He cringes as he remembers his words on the ridge, and the look on Poe's face as Finn walked away, too worried about one friend to stop from hurting another.

"Then you apologize," she tells him. "You have to talk to him, Finn. If we're going to face the First Order, you need to work it out. Something tells me that you're better together than apart."

He nods, his throat tight. She's absolutely right, though he's amazed she can see it so clearly when she just met them. "I know, and I will. Thank you for helping. As soon as you contact us, we'll send the coordinates."

"And you're sure about the orbaks?"

"I'm sure," he says. "We'll see you back at the base."

She gives him a long look. "May the Force be with you, Finn," she murmurs with a smile, and hurries back to her people. Finn watches her go, raises the ramp, and shouts up to the cockpit when it's closed and he's sure she's cleared the area. He feels the _Falcon_ shoot away, but stands there, debating whether or not to go to the cockpit. He's pretty sure Poe wasn't finished with whatever he had to say earlier, and he's certain it will turn into something ugly if he does.

So Finn goes to the crew quarters to dry off. He thinks about everything that's happened in the last day, and tries not to kick in the door, the frustration and fear threatening to overwhelm him. And he is angry with himself, for so many things, but he is determined to make it better.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This scene came from a post on Tumblr by captain-flint, who so graciously let me run with it and helped shape this! Thank you - I hope it lives up! And many thanks to mssrj-335/mssr-cellophane and starsarefire824 as well, who also helped so much with the stupid plot holes. (I have no idea how Jannah and her people left Kef Bir with the orbaks, so I gave them a ship to get to Ajan Kloss because I just can't picture all those horses in the Falcon!) I seriously love the Tumblr crew I've got to know since jumping into this fandom. Come hang with us, we have so many beautiful pics of Poe and Finn it'll be worth it! Thanks for reading - part two will be up in a few days!


	2. Chapter 2

Part Two

Poe is still angry, still hurt, and still so scared.

He sets course for Ajan Kloss and glowers in the pilot's seat, not sure what to do now that everything has gone completely to hell. Rey is gone, and they don't have the Wayfinder, which means they can't get to Exegol. The Sith fleet will spread out across the galaxy and there will be no stopping them. He lets his head fall back and groans, forgetting that Chewbacca is sitting beside him.

Chewie tells him to lay down, none of them have had much rest since they left the base and Poe was shot. "I'm fine, buddy," he says, which is, _of course,_ when he feels a twinge of pain in his arm. He glances down only to find it's started bleeding again, and the painkillers he'd taken earlier are starting to wear off because he can feel it burning fiercely. Chewie tilts his head in that way he has when he knows someone is clearly lying to him, then tells him to at least go fix his arm so he can fly. To which Poe reluctantly agrees. He hopes he doesn't run into Finn, which is a ridiculous thought on a ship so small, and he hates feeling that way about one of his closest friends.

"I'll be right back," he tells Chewie. "If you hear from Jannah, transmit those coordinates and cross your fingers." The Wookie nods, and Poe heads to the back.

He grabs a medpac and unwraps the scarf he'd hastily tied around his arm, hissing as it comes off and more feeling returns to the area. It's not the worst he's had as blaster burns go, but they don't have any bacta wraps on board; all he can do is clean it, put another pressure bandage on, and take some more pills. It's awkward though, and he struggles, grunting as the wound oozes painfully. He sits down, puts his head on the dejarik table, and breathes deep as a wave of dizziness hits him. BB-8 rolls over, beeping worriedly.

"Do you need help?" Finn asks quietly from nearby. Poe glances up, too fast, and closes his eyes against another rush.

"No," he grinds out, and turns away to finish. "I got it." BB-8 offers to help as well. "I'm fine buddy. Why don't you go check on C3-P0, make sure he's still doing okay with the reboot?" The droid whistles reluctantly and hurries away. Poe is glad; he can feel the tension building between him and Finn already, and for some reason, he does not want BB-8 there to see it.

"I can help," Finn says, moving closer, but Poe shakes his head.

"I really don't think you can," he says, and Finn freezes, his eyes flashing.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asks, but Poe can't tell if he's hurt or angry.

"Forget it," says Poe, placing the pressure bandage on his arm and wrapping it again. Finn is silent the entire time. Poe pulls his sleeve down, shuts the medpac, and stands, once again letting the dizziness pass. "It's done."

Finn's face hardens. "No, it's not done. We need to talk. If you have something to say, say it."

Poe stares at him, his lip curling in frustration as he moves closer, lowers his voice. "I wouldn't even know where to begin," he hisses, all his anger instantly flooding back, so much so that Finn moves away, looking surprised. Poe steps forward again, raises his voice. "And frankly, I don't think it would matter. You're going to do what you want to do anyway, like Rey. Because you understand, and I don't." And there's the hurt, too. Poe doesn't want to do this, but can't leave now.

Finn opens his mouth, closes it, opens it again. "Are you serious? For real? You really think that low of that of me?"

Poe holds up his hands, winces when his left arms twinges. "I don't know, anymore. I feel like I don't know _you_ anymore. You're keeping secrets, and you—"

"Secrets?" Finn exclaims, interrupting him. "You can't complain to me about secrets, not with your…your sordid past."

"Sordid?" Poe laughs, but it's bitter and he hates the sound of it, hates that Finn's words hurt when it was so long ago. "Finn, it's not like it's a big secret. People know—Leia knows, Snap knows. I ran away from home when I was sixteen and got mixed up with a bad crowd. It was half a lifetime ago, and I don't even think about it anymore!"

"Except when you have to hotwire speeders and crack open droids," Finn replies, which for some reason, sets Poe off, even if Finn is only half serious.

"Kriff, Finn, have you ever heard me complain about all the things you learned as a Stormtrooper? Especially when they got us out of trouble?" A look of surprise and maybe shame crosses Finn's face. "No. Because it was your past—your _sordid_ past with the First Order—but it's not who you are now! And I'm sorry if the man I am now isn't good enough, but we—"

"Poe, stop," Finn says, holding up his hand and shaking his head. "That's not what I think, and I'm sorry about—"

"About what?" Poe is too agitated to stop now. He _needs_ to let it all out, or it will fester until he explodes. "About your own secret? About running off after Rey when I said we'd fix the _Falcon_ and go out there together? Or about how I'm not Leia, not as good as her?"

Poe moves closer with each damning accusation; Finn backs away at the last, his eyes wide, his face pale. He looks away, but does not speak.

"I thought we were a good team," Poe says quietly. "But maybe I was wrong."

Finn's head whips up, his eyes on fire. "We _are_ a team," he says. "And I would never do anything to hurt you."

"Well, you did," Poe tells him, very matter-of-fact. He never thought it would happen, but it has. "So now we move on. It's over, Finn. We failed. We need to regroup back at base and figure out what the hell to do now."

"No," says Finn, shaking his head. "It's not over. Not this coming battle, and not us. Never us."

"You _left,"_ Poe hisses at him. "You could have been killed out there, and what for?"

"I already told you, I was trying to help Rey!"

"Can you see she doesn't want our help?" Poe shouts.

"That doesn't mean I couldn't try," Finn shouts back. "You don't know, don't understand how hard this is for her."

"Right, because I'm not Leia," Poe replies, letting Finn see and _feel_ all the hurt and bitterness., Poe hates that one damning sentence is coming between them, wishes it didn't break his heart, but it does because it's _Finn_ and too close to the truth Poe feels in his gut every time he messes up. The other man frowns, shakes his head.

"That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean, then?" Poe demands. "What do you understand here that I don't? Why do you get to know and I can't?"

"Because I think I'm Force-sensitive!" Finn shouts. "I can feel things, sense them, sometimes before they happen. Like Leia. And I can feel that something is wrong with Rey!"

Poe stares at him. Never in a million years would he have thought to hear such a confession, and yet it makes so much sense. _Of course_ Finn is Force-sensitive, it explains _everything_. And it's brilliant. Yet it also makes Poe feel worse, that for some reason Finn couldn't share something so important.

"What's wrong with Rey?" he asks, because he doesn't know how to react to Finn's confession, what to think. Finn shrugs helplessly.

"I don't know. But that's what I wanted to tell her, why I went after her. She's in danger, Poe. I know it."

Poe sighs, suddenly feeling sad. "You could have told me."

"I didn't know how," Finn says. "I didn't know what you'd say."

And that raises Poe's defenses once more, because he thought they were closer than that, but Finn's also right, he doesn't know how to respond. "What am I supposed to say? Congratulations, take some time off to float rocks?"

There is an angry finger in his face. "That's what I'm talking about. You're always giving Rey a hard time about her training. Why would I tell you something you'd only judge me for?"

"I'm not judging you!" Poe exclaims. "I think it's fantastic, Finn. It's amazing, and it…it makes so much sense, it explains so much. But if I'm being honest, it freaks me out because I don't want to lose you—"

"You're not going to lose me," Finn sighs in frustration.

"—lose you to training, to Rey, to some Jedi code. Finn, we need you. Now more than ever." He wants to tell Finn how much _he_ needs the other man, but after all they've said, how can he? He'd always thought Finn was his strongest source of support, but apparently, he was wrong. At least he has some idea of why.

Finn steps forward, grips his elbow. "You are _not_ going to lose me," he says. "Not like that."

"Like what, then?" Poe asks, and he can't help the break in his voice. "You could have been killed out there, Finn. You could have drowned, or…or Ren…" He cuts off, shakes his head, the shame filling him. He can't help it: even if Finn sees him differently, Poe still needs him. Still cares about him. "I can't lose you," he grinds out, blinking back angry tears. He wishes this wasn't happening, that he could say something else to Finn, but those words…those words may never happen now.

Finn stares at the ground for so long Poe is certain he's said too much anyway. He steps back, tries to calm his racing heart. "Look, we have bigger problems to worry about. I need to know I can trust you to be there."

"Poe, you can always trust me." Finn's eyes are sad, and Poe wants so badly to believe him.

"You left," he says again, but this time it is soft and damning. "I need to know you won't leave again, no matter who's in danger."

"Even you?" Finn demands.

"Especially me." Poe holds his gaze, but Finn shakes his head.

"I won't let you sacrifice yourself," Finn starts. "If that's what you're thinking—"

"Of course I'm not. I'm going to see this through, all the way to the end." Poe takes a deep breath. "So let's set this aside. We need to move on."

Poe is not exactly sure how, and is shocked at what he sees in Finn's eyes: the same pain and heartbreak he feels himself. "No," Finn replies, his voice stronger. "I'm not setting it aside. Not this time."

* * *

Finn is still afraid, still upset, and still determined to fix it.

He's afraid he's going to lose everything—Rey, the war, and now Poe. Poe who is right here with him, alive and yet so angry, so hurt. Finn can not only see how much Poe hurts, he can _feel_ it. But he can't set it aside, he won't. It's too important. He can't move on and defeat the Sith fleet if he doesn't make this right.

"No," he says. "I'm not setting it aside. Not this time."

"What do you mean, no?" Poe demands. "We can't have this argument right now, Finn. We have to get back to base and figure out a way to find Exegol, so we can get there and stop this fleet!"

"And I can't do that if we're not good," Finn says. "I can't lose you either, Poe. I _need_ you."

Poe looks at him like he's crazy, like Finn has lost his mind. Maybe Poe is right and this isn't an argument they should have when so many other things are falling apart around them, but Finn can't stop now. He meant what he said, he needs Poe. And he especially needs to know Poe truly trusts him if they are going to get through this.

"I don't know what you need, Finn," Poe says, his voice quiet and sad. "But it's not me."

"Don't say it's Rey," Finn immediately replies, not sure why he's worried about Poe thinking such a thing. Poe huffs and does a frustrated turn, just like earlier.

"I wasn't going to say that," Poe tells him. "Believe it or not, I think I get it now, why you've been so…so…concerned about her, so worried. Why you put your own life at risk to run after her," he says. "I'd do the same, if I thought…if I could actually _feel_ that something was wrong, with you or Rey, or Jess or Snap. Any one of my friends. I understand."

"Then why are you still mad at me?" Finn demands. This is not going at all how he imagined it would, but he doesn't understand.

"Because youdidn't trust me!" Poe exclaims. "Because ever since I lightspeed skipped us out of Sinta Glacier Colony, you've been looking at me like…like I'm different. Like I'm less. Less than Leia," he practically whispers at the end, before meeting Finn's eyes. "I always thought you were the one person who believed in me, _really_ believed in me, Finn. I don't know why, but that's gone now. And I don't know how to get it back."

Finn feels like he's been kicked in the chest, and staggers back, shaking his head. "No," he says, then again, stronger. "No, that is not what's going on here. Not at all. You are so wrong!"

Poe's face hardens. "Of course I am. Wrong. Always wrong."

"Stop it," Finn hisses. "That's not what I meant, stop twisting my words! You're wrong about _me_ —because I do trust you, more than anyone I know. And yeah, I was surprised at the light speed skipping, and the hotwiring, and the droid cracking—"

"And the spice running," Poe interrupts, his voice thick with bitter sarcasm.

"And that's it, I was _surprised_ ," Finn says. "Maybe I reacted badly, but it was unexpected, it…" He laughs, a breathy sound through his nose. "It kind of makes you normal, more like the rest of us. Poe Dameron, best pilot in the galaxy? Turns out he's as messed up as the rest of us."

"You knew that," Poe tells him. "Because you know me, you've known me for over a year, you've watched me screw up over and over, seen me at my best and my worst. Falling apart after Crait, getting shot after Anoat, crashing on Pacara. You've seen it all, I hid nothing!" He's shouting by the end, his voice cracking, his eyes bright, the implication clear: Finn hid himself. And he did, because he was scared. The only way he can make it better is to take the risk that he may make it worse. He can't hide any more.

"I do know you," Finn says, so quiet the words barely come out, because his throat is tight and his heart is racing. He brushes away the wetness in his eyes, sees Poe frown. "It's why I believe in you, why I've believed in you since the moment we met. I never stopped, and I never will." He forces his feet to move forward, is so grateful when Poe doesn't retreat. Finn has never been more nervous and frightened in his life—not when he left the First Order, not when he faced Phasma, not a dozen other times he's almost died with the Resistance, usually by Poe's side.

"I have never meant anything more than when I say I can't lose you. I can't do this without you, Poe."

Poe's eyes reflect both confusion and hope, and Finn steps forward, puts a hand on his shoulder. Poe looks at it, nods, sighs.

"Then let's finish this," he says quietly. "We can talk more later."

"Poe," Finn starts, but the other man shakes his head.

"We have to," Poe insists. "This is bigger than me or you."

"No, I'm not hiding anymore," Finn tells him. "I need you to believe me!"

Poe purses his lips, like he's holding back another outburst, then shrugs, his voice falsely bright. "Fine, I believe you. Now let's go, we need to get to Ajan Kloss, and let everyone know—kriff, what are we going to tell Leia?" His shoulders slump as he rubs his good hand across his face. "It couldn't get any worse, could it?" he whispers.

Finn reaches out, takes his hand. He steps forward, slowly wrapping his other arm around Poe's waist and holding tight. Finn is shaking hard, terrified as Poe looks at him with wide-eyed surprise, so much like the day Finn pulled off his trooper helmet and defected, that Finn almost laughs. Yet Poe doesn't pull away, and Finn leans forward, kisses Poe with all the clumsy awkwardness of the moment, closing his eyes and hoping he isn't making an even bigger mistake.

Poe doesn't quite react, is still staring at him when Finn ends the kiss. "Uh, what was that?" he asks softy, eyes flicking to Finn's lips. Finn's heart is thumping.

"That was me, not hiding, not anymore, and hoping to stars you believe in me like I believe in you."

Poe's mouth drops open, and Finn takes the opportunity to kiss him again, hoping that maybe this time Poe will kiss him back. And after a moment's hesitation, Poe closes his eyes and returns the kiss. Hard and fast, his hand coming up to cup the back of Finn's head as they grow more passionate, more heated, until—

"Wait, wait," Poe gasps. "I don't understand, where is this coming from?" He steps back, runs a hand through his hair, uncertainty and longing clear in his eyes. The latter gives Finn hope. "Why now?"

"Because I never meant to hurt you," Finn tells him. "Because I trust you, and I believe in you, and because I can't lose you." He emphasizes the last, because he can't say the words he wants to say, not yet.

Poe searches his face, and sometimes Finn could swear the other man is Force-sensitive, can see into his soul. Once again everything plays out in Poe's eyes: confusion, realization, wonder. "You really mean it."

"Of course I mean it." Finn almost laughs, but not quite. "I want to do this together, Poe. _Together_."

"Together." Poe looks away. "You actually mean, _together_. Kriff, Finn, talk about timing! There's a Sith fleet out there that we have to find and take down! How are we supposed to do that now, if all I can think about is this?"

"Because this will make us stronger." Poe shakes his head, trying to deny it, but Finn will not let him. "It will, because I can't do it without you!" He can feel the tears in his eyes, see them in Poe's.

"I can't do it without you either," Poe finally whispers, and kisses him this time. "Stars, that's amazing. But we shouldn't do this, not now. Finn, we have to set it aside, focus. We have to win first."

Poe looks determined, and Finn can't find it in him to argue anymore, and his voice is stuck in his throat anyway so he can only nod. "Okay," he finally croaks. "I get it, I do, but that means you…Poe, you have to make it back."

"We both do," Poe tells him, gripping his arms tight, his voice earnest and intense. "We come back together, and we work this out."

"Promise?"

Poe nods slowly, then reaches over his head, taking off the chain he wears every day. Finn grabs his hands and stops him.

"No, no, no!" he says. "Are you crazy, you can't do that, not now." Finn has always known how impulsive Poe can be, but this is too much.

"Do you know how long I've thought about this?" Poe replies. "After everything that's happened, that might still happen, I thought I'd never have a chance."

"I'm sorry," Finn tells him, settling the chain back around Poe's neck. "But I won't take it until we win. Like you said."

"Promise?" Poe asks, and Finn kisses him again, giving him his answer. They remain close, Finn's hand holding the back of Poe's head, his fingers running through the other man's hair; Poe's hand gently caressing Finn's jaw.

"We're gonna do this," says Finn. It is both a question and a statement, about more than just them.

"Yeah," says Poe, and he smiles. "We are. So let's get started." The smile splits into a broad grin that he punctuates with one final kiss. "I don't want to wait any longer than I already have."

"The feeling is mutual," Finn laughs, and Poe laughs with him; it feels as if all the tension between them is released in one hysterical rush. They are still laughing when they reach the cockpit, walking close, fingers brushing. Chewbacca glances back, growls at them that Jannah and her crew have radioed for the coordinates to Ajan Kloss. Poe looks to Finn, who simply nods, and Poe gives the order to transmit before sitting down in the pilot's seat.

Chewbacca growls something to Poe about working it out with Finn. "We did, buddy," Poe replies. "We're good now."

Chewie replies with something about Poe's hair being messed up and how they should work it out in private next time. Poe rolls his eyes, while Finn apologizes, until Poe turns to look at him, and he smiles; Finn smiles back, his heart full. He's not hiding anything anymore, and it feels good. He's still worried, and Poe is still probably upset; they have a long way to go, but they've made promises. They're going to do this. They will win this war, and survive, and come back together.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! Thanks again to captain-flint, mssrj_335, and starsarefire824! If it's too angsty, know it could have been worse; if it's too sappy, that too could have been worse. I edited and edited and tried to achieve some sort of balance that I really hope works for this imaginary scene. Sometimes I feel like we read way too much into the some of the interactions between Finn and Poe, into Finn's reasons for the things he says and does, or Poe's reaction to them; that line about Leia will always get to me, though. But fanfic is a way to give these things more depth and context, and this is just one possibility. Who knows, maybe they worked it out quick and easy with far less yelling; maybe they ignored it completely; maybe it was all a bit of light teasing. The possibilities are almost endless. Thank you for reading this one possibility!


End file.
